Gilat collaborates with Huawei to deliver SkyAbis backhaul solution to Southeast Asian operator

Gilat Satellite Networks, a leading company that offers satellite networking technology, solutions and services, recently inked a deal with Huawei to deploy its SkyAbis cellular backhaul solution to a Southeast Asian Mobile Network Operator (MNO).

The Israel-based telecommunications company will supply and install a SkyEdge II hub, SkyEdge II Pro VSATs and related services, which includes remote site installation. Gilat said that most of the sites will take the place of older SCPC modems that are currently in use.

As part of a major upgrade to the MNO’s nationwide cellular infrastucture, the SkyAbis network was specifically designed to support 2G and 3G BTS/Node B sites. Gilat said the company will also work towards providing a better bandwidth proficiency and higher throughputs. The cellular backhaul solution allows the network operator to save significantly on satellite capacity by using SkyAbis Dynamic Allocation Multiple Access (DAMA) capabilities, allocating satellite capacity to the site, as and when required. This also allows the network operator to expand the network to additional sites, where it was not economically feasible before.

In a company statement, Gilat Regional VP for Asia Stephane Palomba said, “We are pleased to be partnering with Huawei on such an advanced cellular backhaul deployment. As many MNOs are looking to extend their cellular coverage to more remote locations, cellular backhaul via satellite is the optimal solution for rapid, economical deployment."

The SkyAbis network by Gilat is a prepackaged solution for cellular backhaul, based on the company’s SkyEdge II multi-service platforms. The solution allows operators to deploy hybrid networks that that expand the reach of their cellular and terrestrial infrastructure to remote communities. SkyAbis also features traffic optimization and dynamic bandwidth allocation for GSM, CDMA 2000 and UMTS backhaul, with a greater space-segment efficiencies when compared to SCPC.

Parameters of Backhaul Technology - By: Jose Diaz

The choice of backhaul technology must take account of such parameters as capacity, cost, reach, and the need for such resources as: frequency spectrum of a time-domain signal, a representation of that signal in the frequency domain; political fiber, a flexible, transparent fiber made of glass (silica) or plastic, slightly thicker than a human hair; wiring; or rights of way, a strip of land that is generated, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. Backhaul technologies include: free-space optical (FSO) communication, an optical communication technology that uses light propagating in free space to transmit data for telecommunications or computer networking; point-to-point microwave radio relay transmission (terrestrial or, in some cases, by satellite), a technology for transmitting digital and analog signals, such as long-distance telephone calls, television programs, and computer data, between two locations on a line of sight radio path; point-to-multipoint (a term that is used in the telecommunications field which refers to communication which is accomplished via a specific and distinct tupe of one-to-many connection, providing multiple paths from a single location to multiple locations) microwave-access technologies, such as: LMDS, a broadband wireless technology originally designed for digital television transmission (DTV); Wi-Fi, a popular technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly (using radio waves) over a computer network, including high-speed Internet connections; WiMAX (“Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access”), a wireless communications standard designed to provide 30 to 40 megabit-per-second data rates, with the 2011 update providing up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations; etc., can also function for backhauling purposes; DSL (“digital subscriber line,” originally “Digital subscriber loop”) variants, a family of technologies that provide internet access by transmitting digital over the wires or a local telephone network, such as: ADSL (“Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line,”), a type of digital communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voice band modem can provide; and SHDSL (“Single-pair high-speed digital subscriber line), a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voice band modem can provide; PDH, or “Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy,” is a technology used in telecommunications networks to transport large quantities of data over digital transport equipment such as fibre optic and microwave radio systems, and SDH (“Synchronous Digital Hierarchy”)/SONET (“Synchronous Optical Networking”) interfaces, or standardized protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams over optical fiber using lasers or highly coherent light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), such as (fractional) E1/T1, E3, T3, STM-1/OC-3, etc; and Ethernet, a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs).

Backhaul capacity can also be leased from another network operator, in which case that other network operator generally selects the technology.

See: Internet From Satellite

Vodacom picks Intelsat for cellular backhaul solutions in Africa

Pan-African mobile telecom company Vodacom has chosen Intelsat for cellular backhaul deployments in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The multi-year capacity agreement will see Vodacom utilizing the Luxembourg-based company’s Intelsat 906 and Intelsat 25 satellite.

According to Vodacom, the partnership with Intelsat will see the satellite company expand its cellular backhaul infrastructure necessary to support wireless services, especially since mobile data traffic has been surging, not only in Africa, but across the globe. Mobile operators in the continent are already facing challenges with government stifling the auction of bandwidth.

The cellular backhaul deployments will also strengthen the South African telecom company’s implementation of 3G networks across the DRC. In addition, Vodacom will also be optimizing its partnership with Intelsat by using its world-class satellite fleet for corporate networking services, disaster recovery services, and in-flight satellite internet solutions.

TelCo unveils new mobile backhaul cell switch site

Network solutions firm TelCo announced a new backhaul cell switch site that can service 2G, 3G, and 4G sites. The new switch - called Marc 3312SC - is a powerful mobile backhaul demarcation that is one of the densest in the market. According to the company, the device incorporates high capacity despite its compact size (1RU by half shelf width), and features a non-blocking architecture 12x1G ports and 8xE1/T1 Circuit Emulation Services (CES) ports.

The Marc 3312SC has been designed to support the transition by mobile operators from 3.5G to 4G technologies, and because of its high-density yet compact size, is ideal for small cell deployments. Nir Halachmi, product line manager for TelCo Systems, said that the new demarcation device will support and expand TelCo System’s Ethernet and MPLS transport technology.

Some of the features of the Marc 3312SC is its flexible control of traffic and services, plus its scalability and resiliency, alongside easier third party integration and interoperability. Growing data traffic is challenging mobile operators trying to support the rise in demand while making transitions in their network. The new mobile backhaul cell switch site will provide customers with more secure end-to-end backhaul services which supports a wide range of management protocols.

 

 

 

NZ backhaul links more competitive

New Zealand’s Commerce Commission released today a study that puts 95% of regional backhaul links, and 75% of relevant local backhaul links, as competitive, which means they are now less subject to regulation, and presents better broadband deals for customers.

 

Telecom providers rely on backhaul service to deliver transmission capacity used in voice and broadband applications and services. According to New Zealand’s Telecommunications Users Association, the increased competition should result in cheaper internet rates and improve data caps in broadband services.

 

Experts attribute the increased competition from the separation with Telecom in November of last year. Others also pinpoint the increasing number of investment seen on backhaul networks by other telecom players.

 

The annual competition review by the Commerce Commission focused on backhaul services for unbundled bitstream access or UBA , unbundled copper local loop or UCLL, and unbundled copper low frequency (UCLF).

 

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